Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Volume 1 Revised & Expanded

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon #1

by Andy Seto, Wang Dulu

Prepare to be thrust into ancient China's turbid world of martial arts. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon begins several years before the blockbuster movie of the same name, and chronicles the events well beyond those in the film. New characters, weapons and detailed kung fu action sequences are what you can expect. The ubiquitous theft of the Green Destiny sword begins, plus Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai meet for the first time to test each other's kung fu ability.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Manga, Fiction, Fantasy, Comics, Young Adult, China

112 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2002

About the author

Andy Seto (司徒剑侨 simplified chinese, 司徒劍僑 traditional chinese) has worked in comics for nearly 20 years. In 1989, he joined Freeman Publications Limited, and created Sword Kill followed by the famous Gambling Saint. During 1993, He made his first big series Cyber Weapons Z with writer Chris Lau. It was later adapted into an animation series.
Upon its creation, he became the star of the comics world in Hong Kong. Fast forward a few years, in 1997, he served as illustrator for Story of the Tao, which was originally a novel. Then he went to establish his own company - Neo Company Limited. Over the following couple of years Seto and Neo Company Limited acquired the copyrights to illustrate The King of Fighters Z, and Saint Legend, both of which were well received.

Seto has always been inspired by Japanese manga writer and 'Venus War' and 'Orion' creator Yasuhiko Yoshikazu.

In 2002 Seto took on the challenge of producing the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon series adapted from Ang Lee's movie. In 2003 Andy Seto has adapted in a full colour 128-page graphic novel the multi-award winner Soccer - Kung Fu flick Shaolin Soccer by Stephen Chow Sing-chi.
Creations:
-Sword Kill
-Gambling Saint
-Cyber Weapons Z
-Story of the Tao
-The King of Fighters Z
-Saint Legend
-Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
-Shaolin Soccer

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for Chapters 1-4

I picked up these books when Andy Seto first started adapting Wang Du Lu's king fu romance stories. The stories themselves are a lot of fun. Family rivalries. Dark intrigue. Forbidden love. And tons of kung fu action. Seto's artwork is glorious. The actors leap off of the page and Seto's China is ethereal and heartbreaking. If you can find them, the first four volumes are worth the read. They tell a complete story that is connected to, but separate from the two movies.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting beginning to the series.

[Ming Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, read it after I had watched the movie, easy story to follow.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the first four Volunes of the Andy Seto comic. Chinese mystical martial arts comic. High quality printing. Art is detailed and brightly colored. The story in the first 4 isssues comes long before the events in the movie. How do Lu Mu Bai Yu Shu Lien meet? What is the origin of Green Destiny? Who is Jade Fox? The first 4 issues make up "Episode 1" of this comic book adaptation of the Chinese novel. Fans of the movie will be interested and this is a nice introduction to Chinese comics. Seto does a "high forehead" look for the male characters, perhaps because the Manchu governement required men to shave the front half of the skull. Anyway, it looks weird. But the women are gorgeous.

[SS Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

the dialogue reads a little weird. probably because it's translated to English from another language. I struggled a bit to follow the story and make sense of the new words/names of Chinese martial arts techniques and stuff.

The art is beautiful though, very beautiful. I enjoyed looking at it very much.

The action is a bit much and dramatic. I couldn't take it seriously sometimes. But maybe it's just that this comic isn't for me. And that's okay.

[gabi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting, but I'm not that much invested in the characters.

[olve.w]

THE MOVIE SLAYED IM PRAYING THE BOOK WILL TOO

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍)the movie is the reason I started to get interested in Chinese history and language. I hope to someday be able to read the original novels by Wang Dulu, but my Chinese isn't quite up to martial arts novels yet. I can however manage comics. I found an English translation of a Hong Kong comic adaptation of the novel and bought it in the hopes that it would help me track down the original Chinese version. (Which sadly seems out of print). The comic itself is very pretty, it has a good use of colour, Su Lien is very pretty (though Li Mu bai is kinda funny looking). I'm not sure how well martial arts work in comics, you loose all the beautiful fluidity of the moves. Plotwise it seems like the story has been really simplified too. However, it was nice to see the earlier lives of the two main characters. I will definitely have to see if I can find the original versions of these.

[Mike Wigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad disappointed that this wasn't a fuller story from which the film was adapted. As it is a graphic novel in a series I'd need to purchase a number of them to come close to what I was expecting. But, as I once lived for a too short time on Wudangshan, it brought back mystical, magical memories of that beautiful place.

[Ben Fairchild · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the depiction and description of wudang style and history. Its nice to be reminded that I am not the only mad one that understands all this esoteric kung fu. I really need a new master a training partner.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watched the film and the serial drama, but I have to say that I loved the books the best; I read them in both chinese and english-Seto is a pretty good translator. We're not missing out on anything in the english version.

[Isaac Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was really good. I like how the characters can do miracles things like the hanging around in the trees. I also like the martial arts aspect of it all. the story line was good too about the girl who is a warrior.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very pretty art, but I found the story flimsy.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I expect from a given situation is not what everyone else will.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the whole concept. And a girl who can kick butt too! The only thing I didn't like was that guy only wanted to marry her if A) she could fight and B) was pretty enough. >.<

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is beatiful and well laid out. I think the novels adapated well.

[Mathew Carruthers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good - looking forward to the next volume (or three).